Police-siege man admits threatening to set fire to home

A MAN arrested by police after an armed siege at a home in New Milton has admitted making threats and causing damage.

Officers were called to quiet Brecon Close on 3rd July and surrounded one of the bungalows for four hours before Alexander Psaila (33) gave himself up, as reported in the A&T.

During previous court appearances he had pleaded not guilty to two charges of making threats to kill Mrs Psaila and Richard Curtis.

He had also denied threatening to set fire to the property and another of causing damage to kitchen cupboards.

But at Southampton Crown Court today (Monday), Psaila, of Whitefield Road, New Milton, changed his pleas to the latter two counts to guilty.

Prosecutor William Saunders told the court the other two charges were part of the incident, but would not be proceeded with.

He said: “It is the Crown’s view that the counts [with guilty pleas] reflect the overall criminality in the case.”

Defence counsel Unyime Davies asked for a psychiatric assessment to be carried out alongside a probation report before sentencing.

She added her client had been suffering mental health problems for around 16 years and was diagnosed with agoraphobia, anxiety and depression.

He also suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and had an emotionally unstable personality disorder, she said.

Judge Nicholas Rowland remanded Psaila in custody to appear again on 8th January.